Silva, Hill Earn Academic Award

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Senior forward Frances Silva and sophomore midfielder Amanda Hill of the No. 15-ranked West Virginia University women’s soccer team were named to the 2013 Capital One Academic All-District 2 Women’s Soccer Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

The honorees will advance to the Capital One Academic All-America Team ballots, where first-, second- and third-team All-America honorees will be selected in the coming weeks.

Today’s honors are the first career awards for both student-athletes and the first all-district recognitions for the team since Chelsey Corroto was honored in 2011. Additionally, today marks the first time since 2010 that two Mountaineers have earned all-district honors in the same season.

Silva, an Overland Park, Kan., native, earned her bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism in May with a 3.97 grade point average (GPA). She won the 2013 Dr. Gerald Lage award, the Big 12 Conference’s highest academic honor, and is pursuing a master’s degree in sport management.

A 2013 Senior CLASS Award candidate, Silva was named to the 2012 NSCAA Scholar All-East Region third team and the 2012 Academic All-Big 12 Team. A President’s and Dean’s Lists honoree, she also is a member of the WVU Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll.

Silva led the Mountaineers to their second straight Big 12 Conference regular-season title last week, scoring the tying goal in the 79th minute in WVU’s 2-1 double-overtime victory at Oklahoma on Oct. 25. She also set-up junior forward Kate Schwindel’s game-winner in the 101st minute, her 13th assist of the season, a program single-season record.

Silva ranks No. 2 nationally in assists (13), No. 6 in assists per game (0.72), No. 9 in points (37), No. 11 in points per game (2.06) and No. 27 in goals (12). She leads the Big 12 in points, goals and assists, and ranks No. 2 behind Schwindel in shots (71).

Hill, a native of Washington, Pa., boasts a 4.0 GPA in exercise physiology. A member of the 2012 Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team, she also is a President’s List honoree and has earned a spot on the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll and the WVU Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll.

Hill added her second assist of the season last week, as she set-up Silva’s game-tying goal at OU, and she shows four points (1 goal, 2 assists) on the year. Defensively, she has helped the Mountaineers post six shutouts.

The Big 12’s regular-season schedule concludes Friday, with four conference matches. The Big 12 Soccer Championship bracket will be released late tomorrow evening. The Mountaineers (13-3-2, 7-1 Big 12) have clinched the No. 1 seed and will play the No. 8-seeded team on Wednesday, Nov. 6, at 6:30 p.m. ET, at Swope Soccer Village, in Kansas City.